Report: Vikings hired Eagles QB coach as offensive coordinator
Updated: 2:31 p.m. | Posted: 8:14 a.m.
The Minnesota Vikings have hired Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo to be the team's new offensive coordinator.
ESPN reports the Vikings interviewed DeFilippo Thursday, following the Eagles' Super Bowl championship parade. The Vikings need to fill the coaching vacancy after offensive coordinator Pat Shurmer was hired as the new head coach of the New York Giants.
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DeFilippo becomes the third offensive coordinator Vikings coach Mike Zimmer has had in five seasons on the job.
"We took our time with the search and made sure we left no stone unturned to get the right fit," Zimmer said in a statement distributed by the team. "He has a track record of success and has proven to be a great teacher. We feel John will have good chemistry with our team, and we are all eager to get to work."
DeFilippo comes to the Vikings at a time of uncertainty at the quarterback position, and he has a history of developing top-quality quarterbacks. He helped make Carson Wentz a Most Valuable Player candidate with the Eagles, and then, when Wentz was injured, DeFilippo helped prepare Nick Foles for the Super Bowl. Foles won the game's MVP award after the Eagles beat the Patriots in Minneapolis last Sunday.
DeFilippo says decision making, timing, and accuracy are all key traits of a good quarterback, and so is good character.
"You don't need to be a rah-rah guy all the time, but you need to show some form of leadership," DeFilippo said.
The Vikings have not yet committed to a starting quarterback for next season. With the hiring of DeFilippo, the Vikings might make Foles an offer to come to Minnesota.
DeFilippo is a native of Youngstown, Ohio, who was a four-year letter-winner as a quarterback at James Madison, where he led the team to a conference championship as a senior in 1999.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.